Boxing: Edwin Rodriguez learns from victory

Tuesday

Apr 2, 2013 at 6:00 AM

Bud Barth Boxing

As an avid chess player and a boxer, Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez knows all about setting up an opponent.

You never go directly at the king; you surround him slowly by attacking his pawns, rooks and knights, by thinking several moves ahead. In boxing, you work your jab, move around the ring and pick your spots until you find an opening.

But Worcester’s undefeated super middleweight title prospect forgot all about tactics on Friday night in Monte Carlo. Now 23-0-0 with 15 knockouts, Rodriguez charged out of his corner like a bull and spent the first four rounds punching wildly and leaving himself vulnerable before eventually settling down and carving out a unanimous 10-round decision over previously unbeaten Argentine Ezequiel Maderna (19-1, 13 KOs) in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super Four.

The victory puts Rodriguez, the USBA champion, in the July 13 final in Monte Carlo against light heavyweight Denis Grachev (13-1-1, 8 KOs), with the winner getting 60 percent of the $1 million purse.

But Rodriguez’s victory before a worldwide pay-per-view television audience didn’t enhance his reputation, which was at an all-time high after his last victory, an eighth-round TKO of previously unbeaten Jason Escalera on HBO.

Not only did the former two-time national amateur champion show a lack of discipline with his wild start, but he also let Maderna’s underhanded tactics — head butting, holding, hitting after the break — get to him, culminating in what several writers called a “cheap” low blow in Round 8.

Rodriguez caught his foe flush in the groin with a left hook, was penalized a point by the referee, and could have lost by disqualification if Maderna hadn’t been able to continue. It sure won’t be on La Bomba’s career highlight film.

Worse, Rodriguez practically admitted it was intentional when he was asked about it during a post-fight interview, saying, “I let him (Maderna) get to me.” He apologized to Maderna and to the crowd at Le Casino de Monte Carlo.

“Naw, it wasn’t premeditated — it just happened, something in the heat of the battle,” Rodriguez said yesterday while relaxing in his Worcester home for the first time in 12 weeks. “I got hit low, I got kneed in the privates, I got punched after the referee said ‘break,’ and it just happened. I apologized for it, and I’m moving on.”

But if Rodriguez fights the first four rounds against Grachev the way he fought the first four against Maderna — wild and out of control — he’ll get knocked out by the stronger light heavyweight.

Fortunately for Rodriguez, who will be 28 years old by the time the final rolls around, he’s too smart to do that against someone as dangerous as Grachev, who put on an impressive show in winning a split decision over previously unbeaten Zsolt Erdei in the other semifinal.

“Different fight, different style,” Rodriguez said about his next challenge. “I wouldn’t have the need to fight like that against somebody strong like Grachev. I was able to get away with it against this guy, and I knew that.

“But I know this is something that’s not going to work against Grachev. He’s strong, he’s a lot busier than my last opponent, so he’s going to be looking to get in a fight.”

Trainer Ronnie Shields finally convinced Rodriguez to settle down and box against Maderna, just like they practiced it for weeks in Houston, but it took some badgering between the first four rounds.

Sometimes there’s still a little too much cowboy in La Bomba, who is expected to be elevated to the No. 2 ranking by the IBF. He is currently No. 3 in the world.

“I got away from the game plan,” Rodriguez admitted. “When I stepped into the ring, I got full of emotion. I just wanted to mix it in, put on a good fight. I got really wild.

“He (Shields) was reminding me to get back to the jab and the other good stuff, to work behind my jab. Actually, he was yelling at me, saying, ‘What are you doing?’

“There were times when I slowed down the pace and made it so much easier. (Maderna) couldn’t compete with me when I was doing those things, when I was working behind the jab, making my little defensive movements and not looking for the big overhand right hand when it wasn’t there.”

Maderna was knocked down by a right hand in the ninth round. An earlier knockdown in Round 8 was negated, and another point deducted from Rodriguez, because the right hand caught Maderna on the top of the head as he tried to duck away. Still, the judges scored the fight 96-92, 96-92 and 95-92.

Larry Army Jr., Rodriguez’s manager, said he thinks his fighter learned a valuable lesson.

“Maybe he learned one — I’m still undefeated,” Rodriguez joked before turning serious. “No, every fight makes me a better fighter. I think that I allowed my opponent’s tactics to get to me. That’s not me, not who I am.”

Contact Bud Barth at hbarth@telegram.com.

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